


Morpheus in a Masquerade

by TheNightling



Category: Lucifer (Comic), Lucifer (TV), The Sandman (Comics)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:14:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22588507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNightling/pseuds/TheNightling
Summary: I finally wrote something for the Lucifer / Morpheus shippers.  This is a little saccharine. I hope you like it.  Though it’s not comic book accurate I borrowed the layout of Lux from the Lucifer TV series because it was just convenient for the story.   Again, this could get a little sappy.I was in a rush when I wrote this. I’ll make corrections later.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	Morpheus in a Masquerade

Morpheus in a Masquerade

“I walk across the dreaming sands under the pale moon: through the dreams of countries and cities, past dreams of places long gone and times beyond recall.”

In his darkest and strangest hours, when Morpheus had thoughts he scarcely would admit to himself he wondered that perhaps Loki, Lucifer, and all the other iconoclasts of the various pantheons were right in their rebellion. They wanted to leave and so they did. There was no dramatic final exit. They didn’t dread abandoning responsibilities as he did. If only he had the bravery or selfishness and carelessness to do as they had done…but these thoughts were along the lines of words he would never dare utter, not even to himself. He was dead now, right? What did it matter? He had escaped his role in the most absolute fashion possible… 

Morpheus walked along the beach of Hob’s dream in the perpetual eventide. This was, for him, his Heaven, his sanctuary. And almost every night he would walk and speak with his friend who always steadfastly refused Death’s gift. How he admired Hob’s fortitude. And how he, himself, liked it here. He was at peace here. Eternally residing in the dream of a friend wasn’t the worst way one could spend an existence after being an Endless. And yet sometimes he felt certain old aches, like a mortal who had lost a leg and missed it terribly. 

Lux was open all night. It often was open all evening. The owner stood at the very top of the stairs. His hands rested in his pockets as he watched the dancers below. His blond hair kind of looked careless but it was the sort of careless that takes a stylist over two hours to impressively perfect. Lucifer knew how to be stylish in all things.  
He smiled with pleasure at the Venetian style masquerade around him, the particular party he had orchestrated. Everyone wore a mask save for himself.  
It was good to keep a sharp eye on his guests. Even here in this mortal world. One never knows what might happen on a night like this. He had been retired decades ago and it had been a considerably long time since anyone had tried to talk him into going back…  
Most of the gusts seemed to be enjoying themselves and the thob of the music was inviting and invigorating. It was New Year’s Eve and the masquerade was well underway when the doors flew open and the elegant, dapper, figure, dressed in crimson red, entered the room. The being was androgynous and all-together beautiful. This entity had dark hair and pale skin. They were tall by mortal standards and elegant. Lucifer recognized this gorgeous creature as Desire of The Endless. Desire was wearing expensive-looking, dark, sunglasses that Lucifer could only imagine were hiding golden-yellow eyes. 

Lucifer walked up to Desire and offered his hand as if he was the prince in a fairy tall ball meeting with Cinderella. “What a pleasure seeing you here.” He said with a charming smile.  
“Were you expecting me?” the Endless purred.  
“No. But that doesn’t make it any less the pleasure.”  
“Charming as ever, Morningstar.” Desire smiled a dazzling, perfect, toothy smile.  
A slow dance had started and they were both moving gracefully in what almost resembled an old fashioned minuet. The movements of Desire were strangely awkward at first as if they hadn’t danced in a very long time. And then finally the eternally graceful endless seemed to capture the rhythm of the music in the sway of their hips and the elegant, cat-like, steps. Lucifer enjoyed his companion so much that he did not seem to care or notice that their own dance was archaic when compared to the modern dancing around them.  
“Do you ever miss him?” Lucifer asked Desire with some seriousness that could be mistaken as taunting or even accusing.  
“That is an odd question.” Desire said with a hint of contempt as if Lucifer’s inquiry had the potential to spoil their fun.  
Lucifer shrugged. “Sometimes I do.”  
“Do you?”  
“Yes.”  
“But he clipped your wings!”  
“Only because I asked him to! I liked his honesty. I have always appreciated honesty.”  
Desire was frowning now.  
Lucifer continued. “When he lied it was usually to himself but he tried to be truthful and I liked that. Sometimes it was brutal and sometimes…”  
“Sometimes what?” Desire suddenly seemed curious as if the conversation was just now becoming interesting to Desire.  
Lucifer spun his partner and dipped Desire. “Sometimes it was endearing.” He said, leaning close, as if to kiss Desire but stopping just shy of it. “When I asked him what I was like, do you know what he told me?”  
“How should I know that?”  
“Hmm… Yes. He told me, ‘You were very proud, Samael. But you were also very beautiful, and wise-- and passionate.”  
“My brother said that to you?”  
“He did. You know it’s funny. As soon as I asked if you missed him, you knew exactly who I was talking about. I think you do miss him…”  
“Perhaps.”  
“Do you regret it?” Lucifer and Desire were turning in circles on the floor and it seemed like everyone else has vanished around them.  
“Regret what?”  
“You know.”  
“You think I killed him?” Somehow Desire sounded both offended and amused all at once as only Desire seemed likely to be able to sound. This impressed Lucifer.  
“You know the answer to that.”  
The dance was over. Lucifer raised Desire’s hand to his lips and kissed the back of Desire’s knuckles. Desire cast two shadows. One dark edged and sharp, the other dim and forever wavering. And the scent was of summer peaches. An excellent touch.  
“Are you all right, Morningstar, you seem distracted…”

“Come up to my room,” Lucifer invited. “This whole scene is a little too public.”  
“I’m not sure I-“  
Lucifer smirked. Now he was certain of his growing suspicion. “Oh! What’s this? Is Desire of The Endless suddenly shy?”  
“You offend me, Morningstar. Never!”  
“Good. Then come.”  
Lucifer took Desire’s hand and guided them up the stairs to his own private rooms. Once there Lucifer shut the door and went to his private bar to prepare them each a drink. “Do you remember the story… The reason he would never dance… Not even for his wife.”  
“Yes, I remember.”  
“Was that your doing?” Lucifer asked.  
Desire smirked behind the designer sunglasses and took the offered wine glass. “So what if it was?”  
“You humiliated him, didn’t you? All those years I could never talk him into a dance, not once. Not in Hell, not in The Dreaming… And especially not on Earth. But you danced with me.”  
“I am not Dream of The Endless.”  
“No.” Lucifer raised his glass as if toasting this fact. “No, you’re not. And I appreciate that in your effort to deceive me you never actually lied this entire evening.“  
“What makes you think I’m deceiving you?”  
“Do you ever miss him?”  
“You already asked me this…”  
“Hmm? Oh, yes. I suppose I did. Let me rephrase that. Do you miss… being him?”

Before his guest could protest Lucifer pulled off the designer spectacles. Just as he suspected they were not hiding golden-yellow cat-like eyes at all. They were black as night with two pinpoint stars for pupils. Beautiful and familiar. Though Lucifer masked it well his heart nearly skipped a beat with delight and his theory being proven correct. The rest of the illusion faded from the red garments and groomed hair to the scent of summer preaches. 

Now the entity was taller and more distinctly male and no longer so androgynous as Desire of The Endless usually was. Taller and thinner. The hands were still pale and delicate though. Those were still feminine, the hands of an artisan. The hands of a sculptor. Lucifer had always liked Morpheus’ hands.  
“Hello Morpheus.”  
Morpheus said nothing at first, feeling like Rumpelstiltskin being found out in the faery tale.  
Lucifer set down his drink and the sunglasses. Morpheus carefully put down his own glass of white wine. He should have noticed that the drink Lucifer had prepared for them was his own favorite white wine though he also sometimes liked dark mead even if that was hard to find now.  
Lucifer stepped to former Dream Lord. “How does it feel to just be a dream, Dream?”  
“I am not Dream of The Endless anymore.”  
“No, but you are still you, Morpheus. And you-“ he pointed an accusing finger, “once said you would never dance, not even for your wife. “  
“I did not dance. Desire danced with you.”  
“Oh, please. You were in Desire’s form. It counts.“  
“It does not count.”  
“It counts.”  
Morpheus was scowling. Lucifer was enjoying this. 

“Why did you come to me?” Lucifer asked. “Why now?”  
“I- I wanted to tell you… you were right… “  
“I was?” Lucifer raised an eyebrow.  
“I understand now why you quit. I suppose I always understood. I didn’t want to understand it… I had responsibilities.”  
“And ever the drama queen, you had to do things the hard way.”  
“You mock me. I couldn’t leave my domain to ruin. It needed a ruler.”  
“Yes, yes, that’s all well and good. So what now?”  
“I am… mostly satisfied with my new arrangement. But I wanted to see you. I wanted to say…”  
“Dream… Morpheus…” Lucifer put a finger to Morpheus’ lip as he knew Morpheus had done to many in the past. “Shut up. Shut up and dance with me.”  
“I told you once, I don’t dance. Not even for my wife.”  
“You don’t dance…” Lucifer reached into his own blazer and took from a pocket a carefully folded black domino mask of soft gauzy material and lace design. “then don’t be you anymore.” He reached behind Morpheus’ head, working the mask over his tangled, thick, dark hair.  
“Just like that?”  
“Just like that. You’re dead. You can be anyone you want. It’s not my fault you chose to be a prudish ass of a dream.”

With the grace of a panther Lucifer reached with one hand for his mobile phone, a device Morpheus still seemed to find puzzling. Lucifer pressed something and music started to play in the room. And once again Lucifer lead his partner into a Waltz.

The song that played was Sweet Morpheus by Inkubus Sukkubus.

“Falling downward, your face I see.  
Falling downward, you can see me.  
In this madness I reach out for your hand  
Two souls in union, spiralling to the ground”

And The ex-Devil and the dead Dream danced together, where no one else could see them. And there was a silent and secret understanding between them as deep and as profound as love and maybe it was love. Who knows with creatures such as these? Maybe it was love.

“I've touched your beauty, tasted your poison brew.  
You've held me closer than any man could do.  
Now, come, sweet Morpheus, there's lands we've yet to see.  
Unfold your comforting arms, and we'll fall endlessly.”

Hob couldn’t remember what he dreamt that night. He just knew it wasn’t his usual dream of wandering the early evening coastline with his friend. But the next night a blond, posh, pianist joined them and he was humming a song Hob had only heard maybe once before. And he knew the song would be stuck in his head that day.

“How I love you, Morpheus, my soul has ached for you.  
You gave me comfort while life was so cruel.  
Your time is precious, I'll waste not what you share.  
Let's fall again now, as far as we would dare.”


End file.
